The 16-minute video was shot in two segments in New York, six weeks apart, and shows a dramatic decline in the physical wellbeing of the artist's subject known as Mark. The Reverend Rod Pattenden said he was deeply moved by Marti's artwork, one of 73 finalists chosen from almost 900 entries.

''As a minister of religion I would be more than happy to exhibit Butterfly Man - it directly creates a meditative space to consider the affects of human frailty and strength,'' said Dr Pattenden, the chairman of The Blake Society, which administers the Blake Prize and Poetry Prize. ''It is playful, delightful, yet filled with pathos and empathy as one enters this individual's world.''

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The winner of the $25,000 prize will be announced next Thursday, with works making the final at Galleries UNSW from October 18.

Death is also the subject of Alana Hunt's Cups of nun chai, an installation designed as a memorial to 118 people who she said died during violent protests in Kashmir in 2010 ''at the hands of the Indian state''. Other finalists include John A. Douglas, whose Body Fluid Levitation depicts the artist's dialysis treatment, and Mary Costello, who credits the gift of a rabbit with helping her survive chemotherapy.

Dr Pattenden said many works entered in the Blake Prize belonged to devotional traditions of major religions while others explored what it means to be human or are critical of mainstream religions.

''The Blake Prize is not looking for neat artworks … but is rather more interested in what motivates, annoys and inspires artists in terms of their own search for meaning,'' he said. ''Some works could invite prayer, others provoke action about injustice and invite a consideration of what it takes for humans to thrive in creation.''